Living a Mindful and Compassionate Life
Week of December 16-21, 2018

Workshop Details

Awareness and love (metta) are essential and beautiful aspects of any spiritual life. Awareness as developed through mindfulness practice leads to clarity, insight, and understanding. Love opens the heart, allows a kind embrace of ourselves, and connects us intimately with life. The fusion of love and mindfulness supports a compassionate response to the pain that we encounter in ourselves and in life.
In this creative week of meditation practice, you can discover how these qualities are intimately related and mutually supportive, and why they are necessary in any journey of awakening in learning to live wisely and kindly in the world. We will draw guidance from the teachings and practices of the Buddha, and inspiration from the other great teachers and poets who beautifully expressed in words and actions the power of awareness and compassion in the world.
In this retreat there will be comprehensive meditation instruction for sitting and walking meditation, as well as talks, group discussions, and mindful movement. Suitable for beginning and experienced students.
Note: For one day midweek, the entire Esalen campus will be practicing noble silence, including time in and out of workshops, during meals, at the hot springs, and in the evenings. There will be an orientation on noble silence.

Workshop Leaders

Mark Coleman
is a Buddhist meditation teacher and has been teaching Insight meditation for 20 years. He is author of Awake in the Wild and Make Peace with Your Mind and leads nature-based meditation retreats and mindfulness teacher trainings in the U.S. and Europe.